Chapter 24: Troubleshooting PC Hardware^625
I/O card failure This error indicates an expansion card has failed or has
a parity error at a certain address. Try reseating the card or moving it to a
different slot. If that fails to correct the error, replace the card with a known
good card and reboot. If it still fails, and in several slots, the problem may be
on the motherboard.
Keyboard error or no keyboard present Make sure the keyboard is attached
correctly and no keys are pressed during POST. Check for anything, like a book,
lying on the keyboard.
Memory test fail This message displays when an error has been detected
during memory testing (indicated by the memory count displayed on the
screen). The message should also include information about the type and
location of the memory error, such as a memory parity error atxxxx, where
xxxxis the location of the error.
Primary/secondary master/slave hard disk fail This message displays
when the BIOS POST process has detected an error in either the primary or
secondary master or slave IDE hard disk drive. Check the cabling and the
master/slave jumpers.BIOS Error Messages Most BIOS systems display a three or four-digit error code along
with the error message to help pinpoint the apparent source of the problem. The docu-
mentation for the BIOS system or your motherboard should list the exact codes used on
your PC’s make and model.
The BIOS POST error codes are categorized by FRMs and services and numbered in
groups of 100. For example, a 600-series error, such as a 601, 622, or 644 error code, indi-
cates a problem with the floppy disk drive or the floppy disk drive controller. Table 24-1
gives examples of the more common error codes.
Series Category
100 Motherboard errors
200 RAM errors
300 Keyboard errors
600 Floppy disk drive errors
900 Parallel printer adapter errors
1100 COM1 errors
1300 Game port adapter errorsTable 24-1. POST Boot Error Codes